Filling Up Life's Treasure Box

We experience peace by contact with nature, in tender moments with each other, and through the senses. This means that we experience peace in relationships with each other, with God, and with the universe. We can also feel, smell, hear, and see peace.

All experiences leave lasting impressions on the heart, mind, spirit, and soul. The following scenarios describe how I experience peace. Perhaps you will relate to some of these experiences as well.

Imagine with me that you are floating on a calm and tranquil sea. You feel totally relaxed. All the tension disappears from your body as a cool, gentle breeze blows against you. There are no distractions. All that is on your mind is the sheer pleasure of peace and the soothing motion of the water. That is how peace feels to me. Perhaps that is how it feels to you?

Imagine with me that you are lying on a quiet sandy beach near the ocean, and the gentle rays from the sun warm your body. You hear waves breaking on the shoreline of your private lagoon, and the sound of seagulls fills the air. That is how peace sounds to me. Perhaps that is how it is with you?

Imagine with me your feelings when you watch a brilliant sunset or you are captivated by a child’s precious sleeping face. These feelings are exactly how peace looks to me. Perhaps that is how it is for you?

Close your eyes and imagine with me that your grandmother is in the kitchen cooking sweet cinnamon rolls. You smell the aroma as it fills the air and works its way upstairs to your bedroom. You smile because you know she has one reserved just for you. As you imagine yourself stuffing a warm homemade roll into your mouth, you relive the memories of all the other times your grandmother made rolls for you as a child. That’s how peace smells to me. Perhaps you have these same types of memories when you think of peace?

Another example of what peace smells like to me is the scent of warmed pine needles resting on the forest floor on a hot summer day, or the smell of Christmas in the crisp winter air of the mountains. I love these smells. They are stimulating to me because they conjure up pleasant memories of peaceful days spent in my mountain home.

Imagine with me a young girl who is lost in the woods. Feeling scared, she kneels down and prays fervently to God for comfort and safety. Now imagine her prayer being answered. The child, while sitting peacefully on a stump, sings songs as she awaits rescue. That’s how peace from God feels to me. Perhaps that is how you feel peace from God as well?

Perhaps you picture a young boy who no longer feels scared after jumping into bed with his parents, as he feels the security of their arms being wrapped around him?

Maybe you picture yourself lying on a blanket in the park and basking in the coolness of the shade. You smell the sweet fragrance of flowers blooming, and feel a gentle breeze blowing through your hair. As you hear the sounds of birds and squirrels in the air, a sigh of peace passes over your lips. You feel the sheer pleasure of it all within your senses, and you catch yourself speaking out loud, yet ever so softly:

“God created this wonderful body so that I can hear the songs of birds and see a brilliant sunset, so that I can smell the sweetness of the blooms, sense the coolness of the shade, and feel the warmth of the sun, and so that I can feel the gentle breeze as it blows past me. Truly this is what peace is, and God meant that I should partake of it, appreciate it, and enjoy!

Thank you, God, for my precious body that you provided me; so that I may enjoy these wondrous pleasures.” Perhaps you feel this same way?

Peace is a condition within the mind and soul that gives us pleasure. It is a condition of our environment when those around us get along with each other. Peace is also a condition when our nation is not at war with another or with its citizens. All of these conditions affect the way we view life and our ability to have the things we want that are important to us.

Whatever we can do to affect the aspects of life that cause us to feel peace is beneficial to us. For this reason, it is wise for us to learn ways for peace to exist in our lives on a more regular basis than we have now. I hope to help you do that by posting blogs relating to the lessons I have learned on this subject. If you have something to add, please share it with us.

About This Site

The Treasure Box Series is about my experiences and the treasures I gained from them.

After 9/11, I embarked on a quest to find peace of mind and to learn how to deal with specific trials I was having at that time.

I’ve learned a lot about “Chaos”, “Peace of Mind”, “Joy”, and “Happiness”. Also, I learned about responding to situations appropriately instead of reacting in default or out of frustration and emotions.

Today, I make much better choices than ten years ago, not only in the way I respond to situations but how I live my life today. I live a happier and fuller life because of what changes I have made in my life.

Perhaps you will consider my lessons as you ponder on your own situation. It may be that something I say will ring a bell of truth and help you change your life as well. That would be pleasing to me and I would love to hear about it.